09. The Substitute

A group of not-so-popular teenage
boys summon up The Warden to help them solve all their social problems.
Instead, they raise up a real devil of a substitute teacher who
was previously summoned up decades before.

In the library at St. Athanasius, an exclusive Catholic school, Joseph
Dawkins is being harassed by bully Brad Rollins, and dreams of revenge.
In a remote area of the stacks, Joseph discovers something that could
provide it: a journal of a member of the "Legerdemain Club,"
an organization banned at the school in 1966 after strange things occurred.
Within the diary he finds instructions for a performing a ritual for
summoning "The Warden," who promises power to the powerless,
and with his two friends George and Arthur he breaks into a pathology
lab that night to use a dead man's hand as the "Hand of Glory"
in the ritual. It appears to work, as the disembodied hand stands upright
and the fingers burst into flames. George and Arthur run away in fright,
but Joseph stays, staring in fascination at the burning Hand.

At the Legacy house, Philip and Derek are discussing Philip's decision
to leave the Legacy and go back to his parish. Derek convinces him to
take on one last task: Philip's old friend Monsignor Grey has asked
for his help in locating a missing faculty member. Nick goes along to
help.

Joseph and his friends are surprised and alarmed when their chemistry
teacher, Mr. Klein, goes missing and a mysterious substitute shows up.
This is Samuel Warden, who makes it clear that he is the one they summoned.
He is reviving the Legerdemain Club, and attendance for the three boys
is "mandatory." He demonstrates his powers of magic by summoning
a swarm of insects -- that no one else can see -- to attack Brad.

Philip is introduced to Warden, and recognizes him for what he is:
immensely old, and totally evil. And he knows that Warden realizes that
he knows.

The leader of the Legerdemain Club in 1966 was named Andrews; and Warden
now lives at his seemingly) abandoned house. One room, however, is magically
preserved, and the three boys are summoned there. Warden gives them
their "scripts" for the school program the following night,
and reveals that Andrews did not hang himself but was in fact poisoned.
When they leave wediscover that Warden is keeping the missing teacher,
Klein, a prisoner in the dark basement.

After performing a healing for Brad at the hospital, Philip along with
Nick returns to the school to examine the records and discovers more
information about Andrews. Philip then talks with the boys, telling
them that he knows about the Club and the Warden; and warning them of
the danger tells them that he is the only person who can help them.
They are too frightened to talk with him--except for Joseph, who asks
him to come that night to his house.

At the Legacy House, Derek, Alex and Rachel are investigating Warden
as well. Until he showed up at the school, he did not seem to exist.
Derek discovers that "S. Warden" is an anagram of "Andrews;"
they are the same being.

Warden launches a magical attack on Nick and Philip as they are on
their way to see Joseph. He seizes control of the car through Nick;
only by splashing holy water on him does Philip break this control.
While it was Nick who was splashed, it is Warden whose face is burned.

At Joseph's house, the boy reveals the diary and confesses to performing
the ritual with the Hand of Glory; he and his friends are now Warden's
prisoners. He also reveals that the Legerdemain Club will be performing
that night at the school program.

Hurrying to Andrews' house in an effort to find the missing Klein--as
records had revealed that it was he who was most instrumental in defeating
Andrews 30 years before--they discover he had been there but was now
gone. Fearing Warden's plans, they hurry back to the school--with a
detour by Joseph's locker to get the Hand of Glory.

Warden's plans are to use Klein as a human sacrifice to gain revenge
on the people of the community. Just as it seems his power is too great
to fight, Philip bursts in, carrying the burning Hand of Glory. He chants
his own ritual (below) to send the Warden back to Hell in flames, thus
saving everyone's lives.

"Hand of glory, hand
of power, conjured in the witching hour. The wardens work is all unfurled,
the warden must depart this world. And with each douse, I thee confound,and
dig thee deeper in the ground. And with the last, I thee command,return
to hell without thy hand."
- thanks to Kris K
for the quote.

Philip has finally realized that his presence in the Legacy is truly
necessary; but still feels the need to return to his parish for awhile.
As he walks toward a waiting taxi, Joseph, Arthur and George stop him
to ask if the collar is a disguise and he's actually a "Fed."
When he admits to being a simple priest, they assure him that he's the
coolest priest they've ever met.